Patience is a Virtue

I got a lovely message from an old friend today who said that she was losing weight as a lifestyle change, which I think is very important, and that it is a process that she has taken very slowly in order for it to be healthy. I completely agree with her on this point and want to emphasize that we have to be PATIENT with weight-loss if we want the results to be sustainable.

The National Institutes of Health recommend that a slow and steady diet should enable you to lose around 1/2lbs to 2lbs per week. In metric that is roughly 0.5 to 1kg a week. It took me roughly six months to lose 14kgs (31 lbs) so that averages just slightly more than 2kgs (4.4lbs) per month which is within the guideline. You could lose weight much faster through “Fad diets” but then you could also just easily gain it all back once you return to your normal eating habits.

Like my friend, I didn’t want to follow a “strict” diet of what you can and cannot eat. Healthy eating, coupled with a good mental attitude, and some exercise makes the experience much more FUN and ENJOYABLE. More importantly, throughout my diet, I never once felt hungry. I often hear people dieting complaining of hunger and that they are “starving” themselves. Please don’t… it only puts your body into “starvation” mode and decreases your metabolism, as your body tries to store food for future uses. On one episode of “The Biggest Loser,” which I love to watch, this point comes across when the trainers told the participants that they need to eat to “fuel” their body for weight loss. You need energy to burn when you workout, so EAT. (Just choose what you eat!)